Monday?s Expert League Wrap - Round 24, 2006

With just two rounds remaining before the finals, the Melbourne Storm have wrapped up the NRL minor premiership following ?Sixties Week? in this round of rugby league action.

Friday night kicked off with the Brisbane Broncos thrashing the Canterbury Bulldogs 30-0. Played in front 26,111 people at Telstra Stadium, the match saw the second-placed Bulldogs crash back to reality after riding high in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs are well clear on 34 competition points while the fifth-placed Broncos join a truckload of teams on 28 points.

Saturday footy took us to Toyota Park to see the Penrith Panthers sink the hopes of the Cronulla Sharks. After being down 28-8 in the second half, the ?chocolate soldiers? scored 24 points in 15 minutes to record a thrilling 32-28 victory. The results bring Mad Monday to the Shire two rounds early with the Sharks now no hope of making the finals. With 22 competition points, the 11th-placed Sharks are six points outside of the top eight. The Panthers however will still be clinging to some faint hope. In ninth place and on 24 points, the Panthers are four points shy of the cut. They will need to keep winning against tough opposition while hoping that other results go their way.

Saturday night took us to Townsville to see the North Queensland Cowboys? go down 19-12 to the visiting Newcastle Knights. With 22 competition points and in 12th place, last year?s grand finalists are done with for season 2006. The fortunes are looking up for the sixth-placed Knights, the Novocastrians are on 28 points and vying for a top four spot after taking out the wooden spoon in 2005.

Meanwhile in Melbourne, the first-placed Storm were experiencing a rare defeat in going down to the New Zealand Warriors by 24-20 at Olympic Park. In one of the upsets of the season, the Warriors held their own before coming away with spoils. But with other results not going their way, the Warriors find themselves six points out of the top eight and no chance of making the finals.

Sunday football saw ?Sixties Week? finally get some momentum with three Sydney fixtures being played in glorious Autumn weather.

At Aussie Stadium, the Parramatta Eels continued their winning form in downing the Sydney Roosters by 40-26. The Eels are now enjoying fouth spot on the NRL ladder with 28 points. The 13th-placed Roosters are just making up the numbers.

Meanwhile at Brookvale, the Manly Sea Eagles moved up to 30 points and consolidated outright third position on the ladder following their 38-16 victory over wooden spooners, the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Round 24 wrapped up at Kogarah Jubilee with the St George Illawarra Dragons thrashing the Wests Tigers 46-16. Playing in a Magpies strip, Wests Tigers were blown off the park early before scoring two late tries. Last year?s premiers, Wests Tigers find themselves on 20 points, in second last spot, and well out of contention in 2006. The Dragons celebrated amidst much fanfare as former St George greats were presented to the crowd as part of the retro promotion. In returning to form, the seventh-placed Dragons ran in nine tries to three to join a log jam of teams on 28 points.

With a two point bye for the round, the Canberra Raiders moved up to 28 points to complete the top eight.

All match results and details are listed below.

LeagueUnlimited.com Player AwardsThis year?s LeagueUnlimited.com Player Awards still has Melbourne hooker Cameron Smith coming first on 27 points and Canberra full back Clinton Schifcofske is in second spot with 26 points.

Nathan Hindmarsh (Eels) and Willie Mason (Bulldogs) are on 23 points while previous winner Matt Orford (Sea Eagles) has moved into contention on 22 points.

The full leader board is below.

The LeagueUnlimited.com players of the match are decided by our live score updaters and tallied here each week on Monday?s Expert League wrap.